20110803PR - Illinois Tollway hosts public hearings on new capital plan NEWS
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Wendy Abrams
August 3, 2011 630-241-6800 x2387
630-201-7158 (cell)
wabrams@getipass.com
ILLINOIS TOLLWAY HOSTS PUBLIC HEARINGS THIS MONTH TO GATHER
FEEDBACK ON NEW $12 BILLION CAPITAL PLAN
Two events added for a total of 14 public hearings across Northern Illinois
DOWNERS GROVE, IL – The Illinois Tollway will increase the number of public hearings from
12 to 14 to present details of the proposed $12 billion,15-year capital plan, Move Illinois: The
Illinois Tollway Driving the Future, and to allow customers and others the opportunity to
comment and provide feedback.
The proposed capital plan maps out the Illinois Tollway’s infrastructure investments for 2012-
2026, including funding to complete the rebuilding of the 52-year-old Tollway system. The plan
is designed to provide better travel conditions, relieve congestion, create jobs, stimulate the
economy, and will be financed by bonds backed by a proposed toll rate increase for passenger
vehicles.
“Over the past year and a half, the Tollway has worked to engage business owners, community
leaders, elected officials, environmental groups and other stakeholders to learn about which
transportation projects are important to the growth of the Midwest region,” said Illinois Tollway
Executive Director Kristi Lafleur. “The plan we’ve presented reflects their insights, and now, we
want to hear from our customers and other members of the communities we serve through
these public hearings.”
All of the public hearings will be Webcast live on the Tollway’s Web site to provide access for
those unable to attend the hearings in person. In addition, the Tollway is soliciting comments on
its Web site and posting video of all public hearings at www.illinoistollway.com.
“Public input is integral to this capital planning process,” said Illinois Tollway Board Chair Paula
Wolff. “We are using virtual, online and in-person communication methods and have scheduled
the in-person meetings at times and places that are intended to be convenient for people,
including some evenings and some afternoons. The members of the Tollway Board and I will be
attending these hearings and reviewing all of the public comments in order to hear what
residents and customers have to say about our plan to address the region’s transportation
needs.”
Since announcing the capital plan on July 28, the Tollway has added two additional public
hearings and adjusted the time for the public hearing in Kane County. Public hearings will be
held:
August 18, 4-6 p.m.
Kane County - Kane County Government Center, 719 S. Batavia Avenue, Building A, Geneva
August 18, 7-9 p.m.
Cook County - Chicago Ridge City Hall, 10455 S. Ridgeland Avenue, Chicago Ridge
Illinois Tollway Public Hearings – page 2
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DuPage County - DuPage County Government Center, 421 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton
Will County - Village of New Lenox, 1 Veterans Parkway, New Lenox
August 19, 7-9 p.m.
Boone County - Community Building, 111 W. 1st Street, Belvidere
DeKalb County - NIU-Convocation Center, 1525 W. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb
Lake County - Libertyville Civic Center, 135 W. Church Street, Libertyville
McHenry County - Village of Huntley, 10987 Main Street, Huntley
August 22, 7-9 p.m.
Lee County - Comfort Inn, 154 Plaza Drive, Dixon
Ogle County - Comfort Inn & Suites, 1122 N. Seventh Street, Rochelle
Whiteside County - Sterling Municipal Building, 212 3rd Avenue, Sterling
Winnebago County - Clock Tower Resort, 7801 E. State Street, Rockford
August 23, 4-6 p.m. ADDED
Cook County - Schaumburg Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg
August 23, 7-9 p.m. ADDED
Lake County - Buffalo Grove Village Hall, 50 Raupp Boulevard, Buffalo Grove
About Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future
The proposed 15-year, $12 billion capital plan includes $8.08 billion to fund necessary
improvements to the existing Tollway system. These needs are programmed to be performed
at the right time to keep the existing 286 miles of roadways in a state of good repair. Projects
include:
• Reconstructing and widening the 52-year-old Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) from
the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) to Rockford
• Reconstructing more than 20 miles of the central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) and the Edens
Spur (I-94)
• Preserving the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88)
• Preserving the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355)
• Repairing roads, bridges and maintenance facilities
• Other capital projects, including local interchanges
In addition, the proposed capital plan commits an additional $4.07 billion for new projects that
focus on enhancing mobility, including:
• Constructing a new interchange at I-294/I-57, as well as the 147th Street ramps
• Constructing the Elgin O’Hare West Bypass, including completion of the Elgin O’Hare,
construction of the West Bypass between I-90 and I-294 and rehabilitation and widening
of the existing Elgin O’Hare Expressway
• Planning for transit on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90)
• Planning studies for the Illinois Route 53 Corridor and the Illiana Expressway
The proposed capital plan is financed by bonds backed by a toll increase effective January 1,
2012, for passenger vehicles and a previously approved commercial toll rate increase beginning
in 2015. I-PASS customers would see a toll rate increase of 35 cents at a typical mainline toll
plaza, with cash-paying passenger vehicles continuing to pay double the I-PASS rate.
Illinois Tollway Public Hearings – page 3
With this increase, the average car trip on the Tollway system for an I-PASS customer would be
$1.18 – up from today’s average of 63 cents per trip – an increase of $2.75 a week or $11 a
month. The proposal represents the first toll increase in 28 years for I-PASS users, who
comprise 75 percent of the Illinois Tollway’s 1.4 million daily users.
The Illinois Tollway is a user-funded system that receives no state or federal tax dollars for
maintenance and operation of the Tollway system. Only drivers who choose to use the Tollway
pay for the Tollway.
Without the Illinois Tollway, the state would need to raise the gas tax by about 9 cents a gallon
statewide to pay for maintenance and operation of existing Tollway roads – or 11-12 cents a
gallon if the tax was only applied to the Tollway’s 12-county service area. To fund the
infrastructure improvements included in this capital plan, the state would need to raise the gas
tax by more than 20 cents a gallon – more than double the current gas tax rate.
For more information about the proposed capital plan or to watch a public hearing and submit a
comment, please visit www.illinoistollway.com.
About the Illinois Tollway
The Illinois Tollway is a user-fee system that receives no state or federal funds for maintenance
and operations. The agency maintains and operates 286 miles of interstate tollways in 12
counties in Northern Illinois, including the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), the Veterans
Memorial Tollway (I-355), the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) and the Tri-State Tollway
(I-94/I-294/I-80).
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